France halts use of stun grenades after boy’s hand blown off in student protests

The 15-year-old boy's hand was torn off after a so-called anti-encirclement grenade was fired in unclear circumstances near the Auguste Béhal high school in the northern city near Lille.

Nuñez told French radio RTL that police watchdog IGPN had opened 18 investigations to determine whether officers had been "proportionate" during the demonstrations, which have spread from high school pupils to their parents, university students and unions."There is a police action that raises questions for all of us within the Ministry of the Interior; it's what happened in Lens," he said, and confirmed the use of stun grenades was being suspended "until the facts surrounding this case have been clarified".